Networks in the Knowledge Economy

Edited by Rob Cross, Andrew Parker, and Lisa Sasson

In today's de-layered, knowledge-intensive organizations, most work of importance is heavily reliant on informal networks of employees within organizations. However, most organizations do not know how to effectively analyze this informal structure in ways that can have a positive impact on organizational performance. Networks in the Knowledge Economy is a collection of readings on the application of social network analysis to managerial concerns. Social network analysis (SNA), a set of analytic tools that can be used to map networks of relationships, allows one to conduct very powerful assessments of information sharing within a network with relatively little effort. This approach makes the invisible web of relationships between people visible, helping managers make informed decisions for improving both their own and their group's performance. Networks in the Knowledge Economy is specifically concerned with networks inside of organizations and addresses three critical areas in the study of social networks: Social Networks as Important Individual and Organizational Assets, Social Network Implications for Knowledge Creation and Sharing, and Managerial Implications of Social Networks in Organizations. Professionals and students alike will find this book especially valuable, as it provides readings on the application of social network analysis that reflect managerial concerns.

Networks in the Knowledge Economy

Edited by Rob Cross, Andrew Parker, and Lisa Sasson

Description

In today's de-layered, knowledge-intensive organizations, most work of importance is heavily reliant on informal networks of employees within organizations. However, most organizations do not know how to effectively analyze this informal structure in ways that can have a positive impact on organizational performance. Networks in the Knowledge Economy is a collection of readings on the application of social network analysis to managerial concerns. Social network analysis (SNA), a set of analytic tools that can be used to map networks of relationships, allows one to conduct very powerful assessments of information sharing within a network with relatively little effort. This approach makes the invisible web of relationships between people visible, helping managers make informed decisions for improving both their own and their group's performance. Networks in the Knowledge Economy is specifically concerned with networks inside of organizations and addresses three critical areas in the study of social networks: Social Networks as Important Individual and Organizational Assets, Social Network Implications for Knowledge Creation and Sharing, and Managerial Implications of Social Networks in Organizations. Professionals and students alike will find this book especially valuable, as it provides readings on the application of social network analysis that reflect managerial concerns.

Networks in the Knowledge Economy

Edited by Rob Cross, Andrew Parker, and Lisa Sasson

Table of Contents

ContentsContributorsIntroduction, Ron Cross, Andrew Parker, and Lisa SassonPart I Social Networks as Important Individual and Organizational Assets 1. The Social Structure of Competition, Ronald Burt2. Social Capital in the Creation of Human Capital, James S. Coleman3. The Strength of Strong Ties: The Importance of Philos in Organizations, David KrackhardtPart II Social Network Implications for Knowledge Creation and Sharing 4. The Strength of Weak Ties, Mark Granovetter5. Diffusion Networks, Everett Rogers6. Designs for Working: Why Your Bosses Want to Turn Your New Office into Greenwich Village, Malcolm Gladwell7. Six Degrees of Lois Weisberg: She's a Grandmother, She Lives in a Big House in Chicago, and You've Never Heard of Her. Does She Run the World?, Malcolm Gladwell8. Knowing What We Know: Supporting Knowledge Creation and Sharing in Social Networks, Rob Cross, Andrew Parker,Laurence Prusak, and Stephen P. BorgattiPart III Managerial Implications of Social Networks in Organizations 9. Informal Networks: The Company behind the Chart, David Krackhardt and Jeffrey R. Hanson10. The People Who Make Organizations Go--or Stop, Rob Cross and Laurence Prusak11. Making Invisible Work Visible: Using Social Network Analysis to Support Strategic Collaboration, Rob Cross, Stephen P. Borgatti, and Andrew Parker12. A Social Network Perspective on Human Resources Management, Daniel J. Brass13. Constraints on the Interactive Organization as an Ideal Type, David KrackhardtIndex